Scout uses tricks up his sleeve (and banjo) to benefit others

Quinton Fults, 17, of Fountain Valley plays the banjo. He also plays the upright bass, does magic tricks, acts in his school's theater group and performs stand-up comedy.MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

“Wow, I'm thirsty!” Quinton Fults says after performing one of his many card tricks.

He's dressed in his Boy Scout uniform and standing behind the counter at Magic Galore and More, a hole-in-the-wall magic shop in back of the Westminster Lanes bowling alley.

He reaches into a bag from McDonald's, looking for a straw for his soft drink. Suddenly, an enormous PVC pipe of a straw emerges.

“God's plan for your life is a lot bigger than what you think it is,” Fults, 17, explains later. “The straw represents the plan, and the cup represents what you thought (God's plan) was.”

Fults is a young man of myriad abilities and interests.

He's a Christian obsessed with the art of magic. He plays the banjo in a bluegrass band, acts in the Brethren Christian High School theater program, performs stand-up comedy and can pull a coin out of your ear or your card out of a deck with a sleight of hand.

But Fults' most recent accomplishment both combines and transcends his many talents.

To earn his Eagle Scout rank, the longtime Boy Scout, who lives in Fountain Valley and belongs to Troop 671, needed to come up with a service project to complement the 34 merit badges sewn to his sash.

Fults did some research and realized that the Eagle project only requires a scout to demonstrate leadership and service. He says most scouts tend to build things – a tool shed for an elderly couple, a planter box for a community garden – but he wanted to do something different.

“The Eagle project should be something that reflects who you are,” Fults says. “I wanted to do something that brought together the things that I'm passionate about.”

Fults decided he would put on a variety show to benefit a local charity. He wouldn't perform, but he would use his connections with musicians, comics and magicians to put together an entertaining night that would draw a crowd – and donations.

His father had worked with a lot of worthy causes as a Rotary Club member. He told Fults about Working Wardrobes, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that helps down-and-out folks get back into the workforce by supplying them with professional clothing and job training.

Fults had a rock band open the show, which was held Sept. 27 at Mariners Church in Irvine. The event included performances by Ross Altman, a political folk musician; Naathan Phan, a professional magician that has appeared on “America's Got Talent”; and an improvisation comedy battle between Orange County-based Instant Improv and Fults' own comedy troupe, Brethren Christian Comedy Sportz.

Instead of charging admission, Fults asked attendees to bring a pair of dress shoes that he would donate to Working Wardrobes. When the night was over, Fults had 300 pairs. Two weeks later, Fults attended a graduation ceremony, which was held at Los Amigos High School, for 115 men who had finished a Working Wardrobes training program.

“Some of the guys were in tears over how meaningful this program was to them,” Fults says.

Megan Harless, Working Wardrobes' vice president of business development, said Fults' contribution was “hugely impactful.”

“We always struggle to get good, quality shoes donated to us, especially when we're serving a large number of people all at once,” Harless said. “His timing couldn't have been better.”

After the graduation ceremony, Fults helped each person find a pair of shoes that fit and matched their suit. After the men were outfitted with this job-interview attire, some of them ran down the hallway giving celebratory high-fives to the staff.

“It was a really, really cool experience,” Fults says, while sitting in the magic shop that his father has been bringing him to since he was a kid.

“It was really great to see this idea that I had turn in to this show that turned into this great service that provided something for this organization.”

Quinton Fults, 17, of Fountain Valley plays the banjo. He also plays the upright bass, does magic tricks, acts in his school's theater group and performs stand-up comedy. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Quinton Fults, 17, of Fountain Valley, who plays the banjo, shows off the autographs on the back which includes one by Earl Scruggs. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Quinton Fults, 17, of Fountain Valley the upright bass as well as the banjo, is in the process of finishing his Eagle Scout project in Boy Scouts, and does magic. He recently organized a concert that featured all of his extracurricular activities as part of his Eagle Scout project. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
In addition to playing the banjo and upright bass, Quinton Fults, 17, of Fountain Valley also does magic. He recently organized a concert that featured all of his extracurricular activities as part of his Eagle Scout project. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A few of the scout badges of Quinton Fults, 17, of Fountain Valley. He recently organized a concert that featured all of his extracurricular activities as part of his Eagle Scout project which include playing the upright bass, banjo and doing magic. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Quinton Fults plays banjo in a bluegrass band . He recently organized a variety show to raise money for the nonprofit Working Wardrobes as part of his Eagle Scout project. Photo by LYNN SEEDEN
Quinton Fults plays banjo in a bluegrass band, acts in his high school theater group, does stand up comedy, and enjoys magic. He recentely organized a variety show event to raise money for the nonprofit Working Wardrobes as part of his Eagle Scout service project. Photo by LYNN SEEDEN
Quinton Fults, 17, fans a deck of cards at the Magic Galore and More hobby shop in Westminster. Fults recentely organized a variety show event to raise money for the nonprofit Working Wardrobes as part of his Eagle Scout service project. JORDAN ENGLAND-NELSON, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Fults demonstrates a giant-straw gag at the Magic Galore and More hobby shop in Westminster. JORDAN ENGLAND-NELSON, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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